


A New Dawn in Stardew Valley

by Neon_Sleep



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Farmer!Byleth, Fisherman!Flayn, Fluff, Hilda the Hustler, Multi, OR IS IT, Once they meet I think it'll burn faster, Stardew Valley AU, That's a tag now, Wizard!Claude, angry apple bois, more characters will be added, slow burn?, this isn't crack i swear, what even are parsnips, yep
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:07:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23137423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neon_Sleep/pseuds/Neon_Sleep
Summary: Byleth is tired of corporate bullshit and moves out to the family farm in, you guessed it, Stardew Valley. There's a whole crew of townspeople to meet and a plot of land that needs tending to.But there are lots of secrets to be uncovered there, and it turns out she might just be the hero that Wyvern Town didn't know they needed.There's also the matter of the suspicious(-ly attractive) looking town wizard... who could quite possibly become her partner in crime.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth & Claude von Riegan, My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 25
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth arrives in Stardew Valley and meets some interesting townsfolk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was planning to finish and release the first two chapters at once, but I got too gosh darn excited! These are both such amazing games, and I couldn't help mixing them together. Thanks to Astra_Dark and SakuMo for both inspiring and strongly encouraging this idea!

Byleth sat in her cubicle, staring blankly into the void that was the grey felt wall to her left. She knew she was spacing out, but she was loath to respond to anymore emails. Only three hours of her eight-hour workday had passed, and she had already lost all motivation. When she’d accepted the job at GarregMart, she had been fresh out of college and ready to work her way up the corporate ladder. Bright-eyed and armed with knowledge, she was ready to take on the world; she could tackle any project the corporation could throw her way.

Except…they didn’t. She had been tasked with grunt work such as responding to emails, data entry, and filing invoices. Every time she tried to move up, the promotion went to someone else, or the managers said she was needed in a different position. As time went on, Byleth felt her spirit shrivel up, dry and cold in her chest where there used to be warmth and life.

She opened her desk drawer, where she knew the letter from her late mother was stored. Over the past week she had re-read the letter so many times she’d stopped counting, and she pored over its contents once again.

_To Byleth, my beloved daughter,_

_Firstly, I would like to say I am truly sorry to have left you without a mother at such a young age. My deepest regret is that I will not get to see you grow into the beautiful woman I know you will become; your highs and lows, accomplishments and milestones, I wish nothing for the best for you through it all._

_That being said, if you are reading this per my instructions, you must be in dire need of a change._

_The same thing happened to me, long ago. I’d lost sight of what mattered most in life… real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong._

_I am leaving you the family farm, my pride and joy: Eisner Farm. It’s located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. The perfect place to start your new life._

_Your father is a strong man with a big heart, a heart that he’s worn on his sleeve since the day we first met. Which is how I know that once I pass, he will want nothing to do with our farm, or with the life we used to have. It’s yours now Byleth, and I know you will honor the family name. Good luck._

_Love, Mom_

A new email popped up on the screen in front of her,

 **TO:** Byleth Eisner

 **FROM:** Senior Mngr.

 **SUBJECT:** Documents 1 hr. late

_Byleth, that data was needed at the managers’ meeting an hour ago. This kind of behavior-_

She reached up and powered down her PC for the last time.

* * *

From the moment she stepped off the bus into the valley, Byleth felt re-energized. Her new life was about to start with a new place to call home, land that was her own to do with as she pleased, and fresh air that she missed out on in Enbarr City.

She was immediately greeted by a woman with short blond hair adorned with green ribbons, wearing a beige fur vest.

“Hello! You must be Byleth. I’m Ingrid, the town carpenter. Mayor Seteth sent me over here to show you the way to your new home. He’s actually there right now, tidying things up for your arrival.”

They shook hands and Byleth gave a brief nod. “Thank you.”

“Follow me.” Ingrid’s smile was warm as she led the way on a path through the forest. They walked in comfortable silence all the way to the farm, and Byleth decided she liked Ingrid. They arrived at a cabin at the end of the dirt path, and Ingrid announced they’d arrived at their destination. Byleth looked from the worn-down looking wooden cabin, to the surrounding farmland littered in trees, boulders and overgrown grasses, and she felt her eyes widen. _Looks like the forest tried to reclaim the family farm in the time we’ve been away._

“What’s the matter? It looks a bit overgrown, sure, but there’s some good soil underneath that mess. With a bit of dedication, you’ll have it cleared up in no time!” Ingrid clapped her on the shoulder, and from the force of it Byleth knew that Ingrid saw her own share of hard work. They walked up to the cabin steps, only for the door to shoot open and a tall, stern-looking man with green hair to bust out of the house.

“Ah, I see I have perfect timing. Welcome! My name is Seteth, I am the mayor of Wyvern Town. Everyone has been asking about you, you know. It’s not every day that someone moves into town. It’s quite a big deal!” He gave a short laugh, but his face fell a bit when he looked out at the farmland. “So you’re moving onto your parents’ old farm. They were good people. The town hasn’t been the same without them.” Byleth did a double-take at the man after that sentiment. It was nice of him to say, but… he looked so _young._ To have known her parents when they lived here, he would have to be at least twenty years her senior, probably more. _Just how old is he?_

Seteth turned around and considered the cabin with a hand on his chin. “The place has good bones. It’s very… ‘rustic’.”

“Rustic?” Ingrid snorted. “That’s one way to put it…”

As Ingrid and Seteth bickered over the state of the house and social etiquette, Byleth started a mental checklist of what she needed to do to restore the place to its former glory. _A good scrub will really make the woodwork shine. I’ll look for paint after I’ve cleared the land though. I’ll need to include that in the overall farming budget…_

 _“Ahem.”_ Seteth cleared his throat, drawing her back in to the conversation. “In any case, should you have any questions or concerns feel free to seek out Ingrid or myself. Moving into a new town can be a bit disconcerting at first, but you should know you have our full support. Oh! And if when you get the chance, I recommend going into town and introducing yourself. This community is a tight one, and there are a lot of folk waiting to meet you. My daughter and I live east of the town square.”

Ingrid’s face lit up. “Yes, and should you need produce or farming supplies, you should check out Gloucester’s. It’s good for the community to shop local, and their quality is top notch.”

Byleth nodded again. “I appreciate both of your help. I’m excited to get to know everyone, but I think I won’t be able to rest until I’ve got some of this land cleared up.”

“Itching to get started huh? I totally understand.” Ingrid laughed and once again Byleth thought the two of them might be cut from the same cloth. “Well Seteth and I will leave you to it.”

The two said their goodbyes and welcomed her once again, before Byleth was finally able to walk into the cabin for the first time. _Dad’s tools should be in here somewhere._

But as she walked in she was hit with a strange form of nostalgia. She’d never set foot in this cabin before, yet a bittersweet sadness overtook her for a moment. The furniture she had all had shipped from her apartment in the city, but her parents had built this place from the ground up, _together_. She ran a hand over the smooth wooden walls, then sunk to the ground and admired the delicate carvings on the baseboards. This was truly made to be a _home_ , and for just a minute Byleth allowed herself to mourn the what-ifs of her life. What if her mother had lived through her illness? What if they had been allowed to live here as a family, if she’d had a stable home and both parents instead of a life constantly moving around with her father’s company? Then she forced herself to push those thoughts away. _Be happy with what you have. This is_ my _home now, and I’m going to make the best of it. For my family, and for myself._

She took a deep breath and remembered she had originally stepped inside for her tools. They were set up against a wall, and she grabbed what she would need to get the land cleared. On her way out she noticed a white box set on the floor a few steps away, and she stopped to open it. Inside was a packet of parsnip seeds and a note from Seteth welcoming her once again. She smiled as she pocketed the seeds; she would find a way to thank him later. For now, it was time to get to work.

* * *

“Phew.” Byleth exhaled and reached an arm up to wipe a bit of sweat off her forehead. She’d cleared a fair bit of farmland in front of her new home and had already planted a sizeable field of parsnips. She looked up at the sun’s place in the sky and was a bit surprised to find that it was only about midday. _I’m all set here for now, I guess I have time to wash up a bit and go see what the town looks like._

A bit later, she had walked the eastern path off of her property and made her way into the heart of Wyvern Town. Gloucester’s wasn’t hard to find at all, in fact, it was the second building she came across.

The first building however, was painted white and had large glass windows that allowed her to easily look inside. A quick glance at the chairs, side tables and stacks of magazines confirmed it was a waiting area. _A clinic then._ But what had really caught her attention was a man with tan skin wearing a white coat, (the doctor, presumably?), sitting cross-legged on the reception counter in a meditative pose, with his hands on his knees and his eyes closed. Byleth stepped closer to the window, drawn in by the strange setting and how peaceful he looked.

_Is he meditating? Sitting up on the counter like that seems a bit unorthodox, but I suppose I’m no doctor._

She stood in a trance, studying his face. His beard didn’t quite reach his chin, and although his hair was styled back, a single strand escaped the rest and fell over the side of his face. In that moment she felt an inexplicable urge to go in and push it back, and just as her hand unintentionally reached up to the glass, one emerald eye peeked open and startled her. She quickly pulled herself away and did a quick check to see if anyone else had seen her in her mesmerized state. Assured that not a soul was out walking the town like her, she looked back to the man in the clinic who was now watching her with both eyes open and a half smile, obviously amused to have caught her in a daze. Just as the embarrassment started to set in for getting caught staring and it occurred to her she should just go in and apologize, the man _winked_ at her.

Determinately promising herself to never need to make a trip to the clinic, she darted away. If her face had turned slightly red, well, no one was there to have seen it.

Directly connected to the clinic was the general store, and there was a billboard posted outside with the town’s calendar of events. A quick look showed everyone’s birthday marked down, and Byleth couldn’t help the smile that grew on her face. She looked next to the calendar to see a Help Wanted sign but realized that nothing was posted. _Hmm. That’s handy. I wonder what kind of requests get posted here._

She decided she’d check in on the board again tomorrow and walked into the general store. It was a quaint little place, with barrels of in-season produce stacked beautifully and shelves lined with pots, oils and other cooking supplies.

She walked a few paces in and noticed a blond man in an apron stocking shelves. _He must work here._ “Oh, hello.” She took a step towards him.

“Woah!” The man’s hands fumbled the two bottles in his hands and after a tense moment, managed to save both from crashing to the floor. He looked up a bit sheepishly through his glasses. “Sorry. Hi! You must be the new farmer. I’m Ignatz.” He reached out to shake her hand and she nodded. “I am. My name is Byleth. Are you the owner of this store?”

“Oh no, I just work here part-time. I’m the owner’s roommate. He stepped out for lunch, but he should be back any min-“

The door to the shop opened with a soft chime, and a man with purple hair glided in like a king returning to his court, his eyes lighting up when they landed on Byleth.

“Ah, you must be Byleth! I have heard so many lovely things about you, the newest addition to our wonderful community. My name is Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, and I can see you had no trouble finding my humble establishment.” He reached for Byleth’s hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it with a low bow. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

She turned towards Ignatz and raised an eyebrow as if to ask, “ _is he for real?”_ but Ignatz just shrugged in answer. She took that to mean that Lorenz was this _charming_ with everybody, however, Byleth was not just another customer.

“The pleasure is all mine.” She reached for his opposite hand and placed a kiss on it as well, copying his movements exactly. “I’ve heard of you and your store as well and know it’s renowned for quality product. As the new farmer in town, I am in your care.”

Lorenz stood sputtering, clearly flustered, and Byleth heard Ignatz covering his laughter with a quiet cough.

“I-That is-“

The door opened again and Byleth leaned around Lorenz’s increasingly red face to see a familiar face enter the store.

“Oh, hello Ingrid.”

She sidestepped around Lorenz to greet her. Ingrid’s face lit up with recognition.

“Byleth! I’m surprised to have run into you so soon. Did you get all settled in then?”

Byleth nodded, recapping what she’d done since she and Seteth had left her alone on the farm. She distantly recognized Lorenz and Ignatz were engaged in their own quiet conversation, (“Did you see Ignatz? A true lady! She conducts herself in such a noble fashion!” ”Yes, Lorenz, I was watching.”), before asking Ingrid what brought her out shopping.

“I’m here to pick up some ingredients for my classic mushroom casserole actually. It’s my turn to cook tonight.”

“Your turn?”

“Yes, I have two roommates and we switch off every night. I’m sure you’ll come to meet them both eventually, especially if you come up to my place for anything carpentry related. Actually, I should probably apologize for them both in advance now that I think about it.”

“Why?”

Ingrid grimaced. “Honestly, they’ve both got their quirks. We’ve all been friends since childhood, so if anyone can confirm their behavior it’s me. Sylvain runs the Stardrop Saloon further into town, but he’s always been an incorrigible flirt so don’t let him bother you. And my other roommate Felix… is a good person at heart, but he’s a bit prickly towards just about everybody.”

Byleth nodded sagely. “Ah. To be frank, I’ve met similar types back in the city. But if they’re friends of yours, I’m certain they can’t be that bad. You seem like you would be a good judge of character.”

A smile slowly overtook Ingrid’s face and she chuckled. “You’re right. I can tell you won’t have any trouble making friends in this town.”

Byleth tilted her head at that, only prompting Ingrid to laugh a little harder. They exchanged goodbyes and Byleth made her way out of the store, intent on exploring the rest of town. As it turned out, the downtown area wasn’t as large as she had expected. The only other building she came across that wasn’t solely someone’s residence was the Saloon that Ingrid had mentioned, and they wouldn’t be open for a few more hours at least. She found herself walking along a river cutting through town, soaking in the outdoors she’d been deprived of in Enbarr City. The air felt cleaner here, and she purposely slowed her pace, reminding herself that there was no rush. No deadlines to meet, nowhere she had to be; she was free to tour the town at her own pace.

The sun had sunk a little lower when she crossed a stone bridge and was pleasantly surprised, she’d found her way to the beach. She kicked off her shoes so that she could enjoy the sand between her toes and took a look around. There was a log cabin that had probably seen better days, but obviously someone lived there if the lit sconce by the door was any indication. Turning south, she made her way to the docks. There were no boats, but a small building faced the ocean. Another house?

When she reached the front of the building a young girl came into view; she had long, curly, mint colored hair and a very large sun hat. The brim was wide enough to cover even her arms in shadow, which was for the best, considering her skin was about as fair as the white galoshes she had on over her overalls.

What really arrested Byleth’s attention was the Iridium rod the girl was casting into the sea, that was some _expensive_ equipment, and Byleth didn’t think the girl could be a day older than sixteen, at most. When the girl finally realized she had a spectator, she reeled in her line and held out a hand in greeting.

“Good afternoon! You must be Byleth, the new farmer. My father told me of your arrival. My name is Flayn. Tell me, do you like to fish?”

She nodded. “My father taught me how years and years ago, but we haven’t had as much time for it recently.” She noticed the large pail on Flayn’s opposite side was nearly full to the brim. “How long have you been out here?”

“Oh, not as long as you might think.” She giggled as they shuffled around to watch the fish swim circles in the bucket. “I was actually about to take today’s catch inside, since you’re here, would you like to help me?”

“Sure.”

They both grabbed one handle one the large pail and slowly made their way into what seemed to be some sort of fishing shop. There were containers filled with different types of lures and bobbers, all sorts of bait to choose from, a rather large fish tank and a cash register.

“Well, what do you think?” Flayn asked excitedly as they set the pail down in front of the fish tank.

“Um, well there’s a lot of cool fishing stuff here. Is this a store?”

“Correct! Welcome to Flayn’s fish shop! I run this place, with a little help from my father of course.”

“You run the shop? On your own?”

“Yes. I’ve had a passion for the trade since I was a little girl.”

 _Little?_ “Flayn, how old are you?”

“Oh Byleth, don’t make me blush! I look old enough to run my own business, do I not?” Her innocent laughter only served to make Byleth more suspicious of the opposite.

“Anyway, I am actually quite curious about you as well. You see, I was born in Enbarr, but my father and I have lived in many different places before setting down roots here. Why did you choose to move out to our small town all the way from a place like Enbarr City?”

Ah. Although she knew the question was coming, Byleth dreaded answering it anyway.

“I just wanted a change. To have more time for things like fishing, and less stress about corporate rules and practices.”

“Truly? Well then, I am happy for you. And I am thrilled to hear I have a fellow fisherman in town! Here, consider this a house-warming gift!” She reached under the counter and pulled out a bamboo rod, which Byleth accepted with a small smile.

“Thank you. I’ll be sure to ask you about all the good spots to fish.”

“Please do! I’d show you some today, but…” She turned to look outside; the sun wasn’t quite setting, but it was definitely getting close. “My father doesn’t want me running this place after sunset. I was supposed to bring some of these fish home for him to cook for dinner tonight.”

“Well I’m heading back through town to get home anyway, so why don’t we walk together?”

“That would be lovely!”

And so together they used nets to transfer most of the fish into the tank, then picked up the (much lighter) bucket and locked up the shop.

Talk on the way home mostly consisted of places to fish in town, but eventually circled back to favorite dishes.

“My mother was an excellent cook. Her Two-Fish Sauté was my favorite growing up. My father is a great cook as well, he even knows some of mother’s recipes, but I think to make them now would make us both a bit nostalgic.” Her smile was bittersweet, and Byleth knew exactly how that felt.

Byleth wasn’t used to opening up to people so quickly. But Flayn felt like a kindred spirit, another girl raised by a protective single father who was just trying to make her own way through the world.

“My…“, she started hesitantly, a turtle peeking one eye out of its shell. “My mother was a great cook as well. At least, that’s what my dad tells me. ‘Her pheasant roast was worthy of any five-star restaurant in the capital’, he would say. When I could get him to talk about her anyway.”

Flayn listened intently, never losing her wistful smile. “I feel a kinship with you Byleth, like we are two of a kind. We should take care of each other.”

“Agreed.”

They arrived in town square just as the sky started morphing from deep orange to faded purple. Flayn led the way to a tall gray home with blue trim and Greek pillars on either side of the front door. They set the bucket down before the steps just before the entrance and started their farewells.

“Well, this is home! Thank you so very much for your help today. We should do this again sometime.”

Byleth nodded. “I’d like that.”

Then suddenly, the door was open. “Flayn? Oh, hello Byleth. I see you’ve met my daughter.” Seteth walked down the steps and looked into the pail housing their dinner.

Flayn clasped her hands together in joy. “Indeed! She helped me a great amount at the shop today. We’ve learned we have a lot in common.”

“Fast friends, hmm? Well I’m glad to hear it, and thank you for looking out for Flayn today. I appreciate it.” He picked up the pail by himself and then stopped, thinking for a moment.

“Byleth, would you like to stay for dinner?”

“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea! You simply _must_ eat with us. Meals always taste best when it is a company of three or more at the table.”

“Hmph. Am I not enough for you anymore? You wound me Flayn…”

Byleth couldn’t resist the eager eyes of her new friend waiting hopefully for an answer, nor the offer of a free home-cooked meal.

So she stayed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, were you expecting more Claude in this Claudleth SDV 3H AU?  
> Well.... so was I. Lol I have the next chapter halfway done and *promise* I will *probably* release it before the month is over. Next chapter is when the real meet-cute happens, and I'll be introducing a lot of other characters as well!
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! I hope you liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth reconnects with her foster sister and meets a few more people in town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to update! I already am a pretty slow writer, but Stardew Valley is still somewhat new to me. Hopefully this double update makes up for the long wait heh heh

Plants watered? Check.

More rocks, weeds and lone trees cleared? Check again.

Boxes mostly unpacked and almost completely moved in? Check and check.

With Byleth’s to-do list already (mostly) done before 9 A.M., she wondered at what to do with the rest of her day. _Hmm._ She stood with a hand on her chin. _Maybe I’ll see if anyone’s posted on the Help Wanted board today._

She made the short walk into town, intent on marching right past the clinic without so much as a glance. Her feet stopped moving without her permission just as she was passing the wide window that housed the waiting room, and sparkly green eyes floated to the forefront of her thoughts like a firefly she couldn’t shoo away; a light she couldn’t find the off switch for.

 _I_ don’t _want to see him again,_ she thought as she irately turned to look inside the building.

He wasn’t there. This somewhat disappointed her, which in and of itself just caused more inner turmoil, but it wore off slightly when she made eye contact instead with a woman at the desk who looked up from stacks of paperwork to give Byleth a friendly wave. She was an older woman (well, older than Byleth), with a light brown bob hairstyle and orange tassels decorating her doctor’s coat.

Byleth slowly waved back, thinking over the possibilities. _Maybe there are two doctors?_ But she looked up at the name plate over the mailbox, and it read Dr. Manuela Casagranda, MD. _I didn’t notice that yesterday._ _That certainly sounds like a woman’s name, but maybe… um… huh. Did I imagine the whole thing?_

Deciding not to think too hard about it, she kept walking. After all, seeing this new woman manning the clinic today was probably a sign she should move on anyway. A little embarrassment never killed anyone.

The Help Wanted board had a yellowed, tattered note pinned on it today. If she hadn’t seen the board yesterday, she’d have thought it’d been hanging there for ages from how weathered it looked.

**I am looking for someone to bring me 20 Copper Ores, for inspection.**

**\- Raphael**

**\- (280g on delivery.)**

**\- (You can keep the ores after I inspect them.)**

_Huh. That’s certainly not what I expected._ But where did he expect her to find-?

“The mines!” she exclaimed. How had she forgotten? She’d been so busy settling into the family farm and greeting the locals that she’d forgotten to go check on Leonie at the Adventurer’s Guild. As she walked back home to pick up her sword and pickaxe, she wondered how her foster sister had been faring in her career as an adventurer.

During Byleth’s third year of college, Jeralt had brought home seventeen-year-old Leonie: an orphan that had been bouncing around the foster care system her whole life until Jeralt saved her from a scuffle with some punk teens outside a building he’d been contracted to guard.

Byleth was quick to accept her new younger sibling. Leonie had stars in her eyes whenever she talked about or even looked at Jeralt; he had become a hero to her, someone worth looking up to. She admired his unmatched strength and air of intimidation. He commanded any room he walked into with absolute authority, and she decided she wanted to be just like him one day.

Byleth had still lived at home because college was within commuting distance, so she was always home in time for dinner and sparring lessons. Jeralt almost immediately started training Leonie in swordsmanship just as he had taught Byleth growing up. He explained that it taught discipline and built muscle; it was very important to him that both his girls learn how to defend themselves, with or without a weapon. It wasn’t until Leonie asked Jeralt where he’d picked up swordsmanship that Byleth found out her father used to run an Adventurer’s Guild in his old town. (And it wouldn’t be until she opened the letter from her mother that she would piece together he had been referring to Wyvern Town.)

When Leonie graduated from high school, she decided that college wasn’t for her, and that instead she was going to make something of herself as an adventurer and truly follow in Jeralt’s footsteps. He gave Leonie the location of his old Guild, currently run by his old pal Alois after Jeralt stepped down as the leader, and Leonie left to start on her own path. She occasionally sent letters home with updates, but they became scarcer over the years as she settled into life at the guild and spent most of her time exploring and fighting monsters.

Now, having retrieved her sword from her home on the farm, (it was a simple silver broadsword with emeralds embedded in the hilt she’d won from her father in a bet), she located the Adventurer’s Guild on her town map. It seemed she would have to pass Ingrid’s carpentry shop, but otherwise the path was straightforward. She took the northern path that led off Eisner Farm and enjoyed a nice stroll through the woods leading up the mountain. It was a beautiful day and Byleth basked in the sunlight, briefly flashing back to her days in windowless offices where time always moved at a snails’ pace. She didn’t miss it.

She arrived at the Guild after a short while; a green building that had a simple sign with a sword painted on it next to the door. With an attempted turn of the doorknob Byleth realized the place was locked. _Hmm. I guess they aren’t open yet. Even though it’s noon? Maybe adventurers like to sleep in._

Resolved to find Leonie later, Byleth backtracked down the footpath that led to the Guild to where she had seen a huge cavernous opening in the mountainside. It was so close to the Guild, it _had_ to be the mines. Walking inside, a quick survey showed a shoddy mine cart off to her left that was missing three of its wheels, to her right a large glittering boulder blocked off what looked like a tunnel, and in the ground somewhere near the middle of the cavern was a ladder that went so far down she couldn’t see the bottom for how dark it was. _We’ll save that option for last._

Up ahead was an elevator that looked promising, but when she pressed the service button, nothing happened. No blinking lights, no open doors, not even a single noise to let her know that anything was working on the inside. With a boulder blocking one path and the broken down mine cart not inspiring any hope for the tunnel it led down, it seemed the ladder was the only way she was going to find herself some copper ore.

So Byleth began her descent into the void.

~

The caves were honestly much easier to navigate than Byleth had expected. Each floor had its own ladder somewhere in the ground that led to the next level, and so far, the only enemies she had come across were some small green slime monsters and a few bugs that were much larger than bugs really had any business being. They were easy enough to take out, as it was hard to catch Byleth by surprise; she had been honing her reflexes for years and was a natural at following her instincts. If anything, she was glad to finally have some targets.

The caves had rocks aplenty, but only a small percentage of those rocks had the copper ores she was looking for. She was starting to wonder if finding twenty of them was a task better split between two days. She climbed down to the fourth floor and saw a familiar scrappy redhead successfully fighting off a horde of bats. _Leonie!_

She didn’t appear to be struggling, but there was no way Byleth was going to miss out on all the action. She ran to the heart of the skirmish even as it appeared to be nearing its end; Leonie slashed at each foe with precision, effectively ending each bat with one hit. There was one last bat that flew out of the shadows straight at Leonie’s back, and at the same time she spun around to defend herself, Byleth made her grand entrance with a wide arc of her sword and sent bat wings flying to the rocky ground.

“Byleth!”

Suddenly Byleth found herself tightly wrapped up in a hug, and she returned it with matching ferocity.

 _It’s been much too long,_ she thought with a smile.

Leonie spoke first when they finally separated. “You’re finally here! Seteth told me you were moving to town soon, but I had no idea exactly when you would be here.”

“Yep. GarregMart was killing my happiness, so when I found out mother left me the deed to the family farm, I made the decision fairly quickly.”

“Fairly quickly? Sounds about right. You’ve always needed to analyze every possible outcome of a decision before you make choices.” Leonie chuckled. “Same old Byleth.”

Byleth rolled her eyes.

“So how’s Jeralt? How’s Fodlan’s Locket lately?”

Fodlan’s Locket was Jeralt’s security company. ’Adventurer’ wasn’t a very stable job for a single father, so he started off on his own, working for different venues, getting hired as a bodyguard for some affluent clientele. He gained a following and hired some capable employees, and it became pretty large organization in its own right. Now, as Fodlan’s Locket’s masterful leader, Jeralt fielded contracts for data sensitive places of business, and oversaw security policies and practices for many corporate headquarters and like-buildings in Enbarr City.

“Father is doing fine, and the Locket is just the same as when you left. Although I admit, the irony of both his daughters moving back to his old hometown made him a bit.. well, sad.” That had been a difficult conversation to have. Byleth hated to see her father in such a state, but he was sincerely happy for her to inherit the farm. It was a waste to let it sit abandoned and decrepit after all the hard work and love that went into building it. The loss of Byleth’s mother just seemed to be a blow Jeralt would never truly recover from. Ultimately, she understood.

“He was happy for me when I left though. We agreed to write each other often.”

Leonie nodded, a somber smile on her own face.

Byleth cleared her throat. “Anyway, how’s the guild treating you? This new hairstyle looks good on you. You must’ve been letting it grow since you moved out.” When Leonie lived in Enbarr City, she kept her hair cut close to her head, her reasoning being that it was easier to maintain. Now her bangs were longer and hung almost to her eyes, and the rest of her hair was tied in a delicate side ponytail.

“Right?! I think it looks more mature this way.” Leonie’s face was smug. She stood more confidently with her hands on her hips. “And the Guild has been great! Adventuring was everything I expected it to be, and Alois was a fantastic mentor before he stepped down. He had a _ton_ of stories to tell from when Jeralt was the Captain.” They shared a good-natured laugh, Jeralt had told them both his own colorful stories about Alois before Leonie left for Wyvern Town. The two were quite a strange pair; it was amazing they’d been teamed up for so long.

 _Hold on a minute._ “Wait, Alois stepped down? Who’s in charge now then?”

“You’re looking at her!” Leonie smirked, clearly proud at herself for securing Jeralt’s old position. "Alois said he wanted to be home more to spend more time with his daughter, so he handed me the reigns." 

Byleth’s eyebrows rose. Leonie certainly hadn’t written home about that yet. Being a leader must’ve kept her busy. “That’s amazing, Leonie. You really did follow in father’s footsteps. I’m proud of you, _Captain.”_ The last word was accompanied by a poke in the side, she couldn’t help teasing her little sister.

“Alright, alright.” Leonie laughed. “Thanks, sis.”

“So…”, Byleth began, “I’m actually down here for a reason. The Guild was closed. Running into you down here was just a happy accident.” She pulled the request notice out of her pocket and held it up. “Someone named Raphael posted a request for 20 copper ores, but I’m not even halfway there yet. Got any tips, Captain?”

“I’ll do you one better. I’ll help you reach your goal and show you how a _professional_ navigates the mines.” Leonie winked, their sisterly competition revived with ease. “Try to keep up, ok?”

Byleth gave a mocking salute. They both knew Leonie had never beaten Byleth in combat, and certainly not for lack of trying. She’d let her have this, at least for today. “Aye aye, Captain.”

~

Ten floors and many, _so many_ bugs later, Byleth and Leonie emerged from the mines with enough ore to fulfill Raphael’s request twice over. Leonie had a wealth of knowledge about the mines and the town: the ‘broken’ elevator in the main cavern was a temperamental piece of machinery and only worked on every fifth floor, (technology is truly a love/hate relationship, Byleth believed), and it turned out Raphael was the town Blacksmith. He was conveniently located just south of the mines; which Leonie was kind enough to point out on Byleth’s map after showing her the around inside the Guild.

“We open at two, which is why we were locked up before.” Leonie walked Byleth out the front door of the building. “I get up early to survey the mines and try to expel some of the surplus monsters before more inexperienced travelers can make their rounds. The less trips to the clinic, the better.”

Byleth nodded her assent, trying desperately not to let green eyes take over her thoughts at the word ‘clinic’.

“Well I still have some things to take care of, otherwise I would walk you to Raphael’s myself. But if you ever need new equipment or want to ask for some help again, feel free to drop in again. You and I should plan to get together at some point. I’ve missed you, Byleth.” They hugged each other once again, this time in goodbye.

“I’m still getting settled in, but I promise to have you over soon. That way you can see the farm.”

“Perfect!”

They finished their farewells and Leonie went back inside, leaving Byleth to find her way to Raphael on her own. She backtracked on the path, the way into town meant passing the mines again. Just as she had the mines in her sights, she stopped. A suspicious character exited the mines, and something in her gut told her she should just stay put.

He wore a black, velvet cloak, fabric rippling with his consistent movement. Despite the distance she can just make out a golden pattern in the lining every time he takes a step. The large, baggy hood obscured his face in shadow, but if she squinted, she could see a tan nose and a lock of dark brown hair. _Why does that man feel… familiar?_

He had a large sack strapped over his shoulder, so full of items it couldn’t properly cinch shut. A purple mushroom bounced out of the sack and fell to the ground, forgotten as the man continued on his way. Byleth stayed where she was, watching the man ‘til he disappeared from sight, before continuing forward. She picked up the purple mushroom, observing it from different angles. _Is this thing edible? Did he find this in the mines? How deep down do you have to go to find mushrooms?_ Compartmentalizing her questions, she told herself she would ask Leonie later, and put the mushroom in her own backpack. _Finders keepers, I guess._

It didn’t take long for her to cross the bridge leading to the Blacksmith shop. There was a library (or was it a museum?) that she piqued her interest, but she resolved to check it out later. The shop itself was pretty impressive on the inside. There was a huge, open fireplace that Byleth could only assume was the forge, and the Blacksmith himself was impressive as well. A man so broad and muscular he could’ve been a wrestler rather than a blacksmith, but he was so overtly kind and friendly that he was about as intimidating as a bunny she’d crossed paths with on the walk over.

He excitedly accepted the ores, citing the need for a quality check against his own stock before handing them right back just as promised and paying her the 280g for her help.

“I can open geodes too if you find any. Oh! And I can upgrade your tools whenever you’d like, all I’d need is some ore and money for the service, of course. Don’t be afraid to come back and say hi though! I’m sure my little sis Maya would love to meet you!” Raphael was so genuine, Byleth could definitely see herself coming back for a visit, geodes or not.

“Thank you, I appreciate the offer. I’ll be back for sure.” She waved and stepped out of the shop, smiling to herself. _Today has been a really good day._

She walked slowly down the bridge leading back into town. Stopping to look out over the river, she took in the scenery. The sun was setting, the beautiful orange and purple colors reflecting on the river. Her gaze continued up the river, and she noticed a large blue building she hadn’t before, a short distance behind Raphael’s shop. She stared hard at the structure, she knew that color scheme anywhere, but her mind didn’t want to accept it.

 _That’s definitely a GarregMart._ Her thoughts spiraled down bad memories, and the anxiety of her old work routine bubbled up in her chest. She consciously growled at the offending establishment, ( _why was there one_ here, _in peaceful Wyvern Town, home of so many small-business owners?)_ and started walking once again in the direction of home. When she reached the town square and saw that the Stardrop Saloon was finally open, she swiftly changed her mind. _I could sure use a drink right now._

~

The Saloon was quite charming. Cozier than any bars she’d been to in the city. There was a big fireplace, arcade machines, a pool table and ample dancing room. Not that Byleth was very interested in any of that, as she made a beeline for the bar and took a seat around the corner from a very cantankerous looking blonde man with an eyepatch. He slumped over the counter and nursed a half empty mug. Byleth guessed he was already in pretty deep, despite the bar only having been open about an hour.

“Well, well! It must be my lucky day today, being approached by such a beauty. I'm Sylvain Jose Gautier. Welcome to the Stardrop Saloon.” A tall redheaded man casually leaned on the counter across from Byleth. _Ah, that’s right. Ingrid said her roommate ran the Saloon,_ Byleth suddenly remembered.

“Thank you. I’ll take two pints of your strongest ale.” Byleth nodded, straight to the point.

“Oho, right down to business, huh? I can roll with that. I won’t even waste time asking for a name; I love a woman of mystery.” He smirked as he filled up the pints at her request.

“Something tells me you already know my name.” She deadpanned. Byleth was amused at how quick this guy was to flirt, but there was no way in hell she would let it show on her face.

“ _Ugh_. Sylvain, can you at least let the poor girl settle in before you start with the antics?” A woman with long wavy hair walked up and set an empty tray on the bar. She wore a red dress that stopped mid-thigh and a black apron around her waist. She held out a hand in greeting.

“Hi, I’m Dorothea. I work here part-time, when I’m not doing singing gigs anyway. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Byleth returned the handshake. “Nice to meet you too. I’m Byleth. The new farmer everyone seems to already know about.”

“Aw, come on! Dorothea gets an introduction, but I don’t? You’re stone-cold, Byleth… _and_ _I love it.”_ He set the mugs down in front of Byleth, and in a fit of mischief she downed the first pint in one go, prompting an impressed whistle from Dorothea and nervous laughter from Sylvain.

“Sylvain, I think you may be in over your head on this one.” Dorothea teased.

“You’re probably right, yet I’m intrigued all the more.” He agreed, undeterred.

“Hey, can I join in on the fun? Two salads please, barkeep.” A woman with pink pigtails hopped onto the next seat over, and she tossed a wink at Sylvain before turning to Byleth with an impish expression.

“So, Byleth huh? I saw that impressive display just now from my table. You’d better be careful, or Sylvain here might propose before you leave the bar today.”

“Ha! You’re one to talk.” Sylvain put two salad dishes up on the counter. “Don’t fall captive to Hilda’s alluring face or words, Byleth, or she’ll have you doing all her grunt work before you even realize saying no was an option.”

“Oh please, _you_ are the one that offered to help me find that iridium ore for my bracelet--“

“And I almost _died_! If Leonie hadn’t found us in time--”

“I’m Hilda Valentine Goneril. I’m kind of Mayor Seteth’s secretary.” Hilda lost no time continuing her own introduction, even as Sylvain kept whining in the background, completely ignored. “I help plan and organize town events, but I also illustrate the stories in his children’s books. Oh, AND I run my own accessory business. I’m a bit of a free spirit.” She said humbly, an added toss of her pigtails for effect.

 _Seteth writes children’s books?_ Byleth filed that bit of information away. She’d ask Flayn about it later.

“That’s quite a list. You must have very little free time.” Byleth raised her arm to rest her head on her chin.

“Oh, she has _plenty_ of free time—”

“ _Sylvaaain”,_ Hilda groaned.

“Did you make the earrings you’re wearing? They’re very pretty.” Byleth inspected her black hoop earrings. She didn’t wear much jewelry herself, but she could appreciate good craftsmanship when she saw it.

“Oooh, good eye. These are my own design, made with obsidian and gold ore sourced right from the mines in town. I knew there was something liked about you, new girl.” Hilda winked, then abruptly stood up with both salad plates and nodded her head at one of the tables. “Come on, I want to introduce you to my friend.”

Byleth looked hesitantly toward her second pint of ale, untouched and waiting on the bar. _Eh, why not?_

She grabbed her drink and walked over to where Hilda was sitting, a woman with pale blue hair occupying the third seat. She wore a black shawl over a simple blue dress, which, at first glance, screamed high society. A closer look revealed that despite her elaborate braided updo, her hair was a mess with flyaways and— _were those pieces of hay, stuck to her head?_

Hilda leaned over to hug the woman with one arm. “This adorable baby bird and wonderful gem of a human being is my best friend, Marianne. She’s the stablemaster in this town. She takes care of soo many cute baby animals!” Hilda continued to squeal and coo over the poor girl, but her deer-in-the-headlights expression faded the longer Hilda held on. _Cute._

“H-Hello,” her voice was incredibly soft. “Have you been liking Wyvern Town so far?”

Byleth thought for a moment. “Yes. It’s… peaceful.”

“Pfft. Peaceful? That’s what you were searching for? I just watched you down a pint in under 10 seconds in front of two strangers just to make a point.”

“That’s not exactly true. They’d already introduced themselves. I wouldn’t call them strangers.”

Hilda frowned in faux irritation. “You know what I meant.”

“Hm.” Byleth raised her second mug to her lips, drinking steadily. A wordless challenge; _watch me, I’ll do it again_.

Hilda’s eyes widened. “Aha! Oh, Claude is going to _love_ you.” Hilda cackled, wiping a tear from her eye. “Has he roped you into any trouble yet?”

Byleth shook her head. “I don’t think I’ve met a Claude. Is he a friend of yours?”

“Yep! He’s probably my best friend after precious Marianne here.” She paused to give Marianne another squeeze. Marianne’s face was flushed, but her faint smile told Byleth this was a normal occurrence.

“In fact, Claude is friends with just about everyone in town. He has a strange habit of annoying his way into hearts of the masses. And I say that with absolute affection; he’s helped me out of as many tight spots as he’s gotten me into.”

“Oh.” Byleth uttered, unsure. _He sounds like a handful._

“He’s also a Wizard.”

So quiet Byleth thought she imagined the voice rather than heard it, she turned back to Marianne, whose face was lightly scrunched in regret. She looked like she’d take the words back if she could.

“Bah, ‘Wizard’ at losing to me at pool. He knows how to concoct a few healing tonics and suddenly everyone thinks he’s a Wizard. He makes poisons too, you know.”

“But Hilda, I think that further proves the point…”

“Ugghh ok, let’s talk about something else.” Hilda shoved around the lettuce on her plate, as if expecting to find a new conversation topic hidden under some Romaine.

She gasped. “I know!”

Byleth did not allow one muscle to so much as _twitch_ under Hilda’s menacing stare.

“Byleth. Are you any good at pool?”

Holding eye contact, Byleth slammed back her second pint of ale. “As good as anyone else, I’d wager.”

“50g?”

“You’re on.”

* * *

Byleth arrived home that night with quite a few more people added to her ever-growing list of friends, and 50g less in her pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hilda is a pool hustler change my mind.
> 
> Byleth's competitive side really came out in this chapter, huh. Also, yes, that was a Dimitri cameo. Most of the students will show up at some time or another. It's a large small-town. Also, I said previously that the meet-cute would happen in this chapter, and I lied, apparently. Claude didn't feel like introducing himself yet, but hopefully that's ok because the next chapter is pretty Claude-centric. Hence, the double update.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth learns about the Community Center and makes a few discoveries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Byleth is a bit more emotive in this fic than she is normally portrayed, but that's because she doesn't have Sothis inside of her (yet, anyway... *x-files music*) and she has a normal heart. She's still pretty stoic, but I'm pretty sure she inherited Jeralt's dry humor and sarcasm.

_Ok, that’s all of them._

Byleth beholds her tiny farm with a sense of accomplishment. What started as a parsnip patch has since evolved into a parsnip field, now with forty separate buds in varying states of bloom. After ritually watering them every morning, they all seem to be growing at a healthy, steady rate. She’s happy. Her plants are happy.

Then, an epiphany.

_Do I even like parsnips? What am I going to eat with these?_

She plops down into the dirt, apathetic in her descent into gloom. _What kind of rookie farmer plants an_ entire field _of vegetables they’ve never tried before?_ A self-depreciating laugh. _Me, I guess._ Figuring she was already halfway there, she let the top half of her body drop to the ground. Her head hit the un-tilled ground with a _thump_ , and her eyes crossed momentarily. _Ow._

The sky above was crystal clear blue save for a single, lightly gray cloud overhead. Fitting.

The cloud tugged a memory from the depths of Byleth’s mind; a simple time, when it was just her and her father on the road. He had been contracted for a security guard job at a concert venue, and she stayed with him at check-in. At seven years old, Jeralt didn’t trust his daughter with anyone else, so while he checked badges and tickets, little Byleth sat at a tiny kids table just behind him with a coloring book to keep her busy. The venue was a grassy field just outside city limits, and most people brought folding chairs to make up for the lack of seating. On his lunch break, Jeralt bought sandwiches from a vendor and the two found a comfortable spot on the green. They spent the next thirty minutes enjoying the band and pointing out shapes in the clouds.

A nostalgic smile slowly overtook her lips. If Jeralt had been there to see her pouting over some vegetables, he’d tell her to stop with the pity party and figure out the next step already. _Alright father,_ she told the Jeralt-like voice in her head, _I’m on it._

She picked herself up and dusted the dirt off her clothes and hair. Gloucester’s surely had some different seeds for her to choose from, if not some recipes to help teach her just how one was supposed to prepare a parsnip.

Town square was lively with townsfolk today. Everyone was out on their own errand runs, with a surprising amount of people headed for Gloucester’s. Nearly all were independent business-owners, Byleth observed, as most of them went to the supply store in the mornings to stock up on what they needed for the day. It made sense, since the majority of shops in Wyvern Town closed around the same time of day, Gloucester’s included.

She passed the staircase leading to the northern-most part of town but stopped walking when a stern voice called out her name. Sure enough, she turned toward the sound and noticed a familiar green head of hair striding in her direction.

“Hello Seteth.”

He nodded a greeting. “Good morning. Have you been settling in alright? I’ve not seen you since Flayn brought you to dinner your first night in town.”

Byleth was still trying to think of a way to repay him and Flayn for their hospitality that day. The Cichol family had been so welcoming; they erased the last of Byleth’s concerns about fitting into their tightly knit community over a lovely family dinner. He was also the patron of her tiny parsnip farm, having gifted her the seeds upon her arrival, though she was currently sorting out her feelings on that matter. _Sigh. Parsnips._

“I’m doing well, thanks for asking. I reconnected with Leonie, my foster sister, made some new friends and have been working on expanding my farm. I was headed to Gloucester’s just now for some more seeds to plant. Want to join me?”

“As much as I would like to check in on Lorenz and Ignatz, I was hoping I could show you something. Provided I’m not interrupting your errand, of course.” He glanced at the storefront with hesitation.

“…No, I’m in no rush.” The parsnip field nagged at her thoughts, but it could wait. Seteth’s vague request roused her curiosity. “What did you want to show me?”

“This way.” He gestured up the stone steps behind her and they climbed the stairs together. A short walk had them standing in front of a derelict building, abandoned to time with vines scaling the walls and dripping in through the roof. A sizeable clock hung over the doorframe, and she could barely read the words “Wyvern Town” painted in large letters on the side of the building, the painted words were as chipped and weathered as the building itself.

“A sad sight, truly.” Byleth looked up at Seteth’s melancholic frown, her enthusiasm dying down. “This is the Wyvern Town Community Center… or what’s become of it, I suppose. This place used to be the pinnacle of the town, always bustling with activity. Now it’s a mere shell of what it used to be.” He turned towards Byleth. “Young folk nowadays, they get so caught up in their own day-to-day activities and their reliance on technology that they forget to engage with the community.”

She returned his frown; she knew what that felt like. Engaging in the community while she was working in the city was more of a pipe dream than something she could carve out the proper time for.

“Alas, I’m afraid that’s just me showing my age.” He continued, reminding her of the mystery surrounding the ages of _both_ Cichol family members. “I’ve been fielding offers from GarregMart Co. for the sale of this land. So far I’ve rejected all offers, mostly because I believe a warehouse in the middle of town would be far more of an eyesore than this unsightly glimpse of the past. Wyvern Town could certainly use the money, but I suppose I’ve grown attached to this particular historical relic.”

He shrugged defeatedly. “Ah well. If one more person decides to buy a GarregMart membership, I suppose I’ll just sell it.”

“You can’t!” Byleth exclaimed, then cleared her throat out of embarrassment. “Er, I meant to say, can’t you hold off just awhile longer? Maybe there’s hope yet.” She moved here to get _away_ from the monopoly of GarregMart, and so help her she would renovate the entire Community Center _single-handedly_ if it meant saving the town from their greedy corporate grasp.

Seteth’s shock at her fervent plea faded into fondness, despite his doubts that the place could be saved. “Alright then.” It lifted her spirits to see him smiling again.

“Can we go inside?”

“Heh. Curious to see how many renovations are needed to get this place back in shape? Of course, I’ve got the key right here.”

He unlocked the door and they stepped in. Byleth immediately noted the stale air of a building that wasn’t often used. It was like stepping into an antique store. There were patches in the floor where the boards had been torn up, and greenery thrived where it sprouted from the dirt, even in this closed-off building that boasted minimal sunlight.

“Hm. This place is in even worse shape than I’d remembered.” Seteth meandered further into the room. There was a fireplace set on the back wall, a strangely empty plaque hung above the mantle. Seteth was more concerned by the small fort set up in the left corner of the room. ”It appears Maya and Risa have been playing in here again, despite my warnings against it.”

 _Right, Maya is Raphael’s little sister._ “Who’s Risa?”

“Oh I suppose you haven’t met her yet, then. Risa is Alois’s daughter.”

“Ah.”

Byleth’s eye twitched at a sudden shining light, and when she looked around and found its origin, she reflexively pulled her sword from its sheath on her back. A small, green… _thing_ with a glossy outer coat ran behind the kids’ fort. She moved to a protective stance in front of Seteth. What was a slime doing out so far from the mines?

“What is it? Is something over there?” Seeing Byleth on edge set off Seteth’s own anxiety.

She walked over to the fort, ready to take out the slime monster, but it was gone. “I… I could’ve sworn I’d seen something skitter behind the fort.” Did she imagine it?

Then, another creature appeared just behind Seteth and she stood up from her crouched attack stance. Seteth looked all around, trying to see what had Byleth so riled up, but apparently didn’t see the small creature just behind his feet.

Byleth stared at it. Now that it wasn’t hidden by shadows, it clearly had two little stick legs and two little stick arms, and it was definitely **not** a slime. In fact, if Byleth had to make a comparison, she’d say it looked more like an apple. A large, sentient apple with legs and beady little eyes. She shivered.

“Was it a rat? With the state this place is in, I would not find that surprising.” Seteth took a step back, and the little apple monster vanished into thin air. _Ok. This is fine._

“Whatever it was, I suppose I’ve lost it.” She managed carefully. No need to let Seteth in on her temporary bout of insanity.

He sighed, then checked his watch. “Right. Well I should be going to Flayn’s shop now to see if she needs any help and make sure she’s eaten something. I suppose I shall add ‘warning Alois and Raphael’s wards away from the building with a rat problem’ to my to-do list today.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and scowled. Byleth followed him out of the building, but not before glancing a double check around the room for more creatures.

Outside, Seteth pulled a key from his pocket and handed it over. Its gold paint was chipped, the key looked just as antique as the building they’d just been inside. “I will entrust you with the key to the Community Center. Feel free to take care of the rat problem if you would like, but please lock up when you’re finished. I’d like to take precautions to keep this place as child-proof as we can.”

Byleth nodded, spaced out in place after Seteth said farewell and walked back into town. She had never hallucinated before in her life, but those creatures looked so realistic. There’s no way she imagined them up. She turned resolutely and stormed back inside the building. There was still nothing behind the fort, but now a squeaking noise taunted her, not from the floorboards, but from the air all around her. She checked the various rooms, all of them so worn down she could no longer tell what their original purposes were. Every time she walked into a room the noise would stop, and she’d hear it pop up again somewhere else. _Ugh._ Whatever these creatures were, they were mocking her. She didn’t like it.

The noises finally led her to a room that was completely void of furniture save for an empty shelf, a barrel, and a golden scroll sat on a pedestal in the middle of the room. It emitted its own light and was branded with an image of a tree. Byleth walked up and set a hand on it. The parchment buzzed with energy; it hummed though her fingertips and traveled up her spine. _Woah._

As if triggered by her touch, strange symbols swirled into existence at the top of the scroll. It looked like some sort of ancient language, blocky and patterned, but it didn’t look familiar in the slightest. Then, the squeaking noise sounded off behind her and she spun toward the door. A little apple monster hopped in the doorway and validation washed over Byleth. “I knew it!”

Another creature ran down the hallway as she ran at the entrance to the room, intent on catching at least one of them this time. What she would do once she caught it she wasn’t sure, but she would figure that out after confirming once and for all that they were real.

She lunged at the creature, but just before making contact it vanished the same way it had before, and she crashed into an actual person instead.

“Agh!”

They toppled to the ground together, limbs everywhere and both trying to regain their stability in the dark. They scrambled away from each other and hurriedly stood up, taking stock of each other. The man looked suspicious, with his face still hidden behind his hood.

“Who are you? What are you doing in here?” She stood firm, one hand on the handle of her sword, ready for any sudden moves.

“Woah woah! There’s no need for that. I don’t mean any harm.” He held both hands up, palms out. “I can explain.”

“Then explain.” The inside of his sleeves showed a golden pattern lining the cloak. She recognized it, this was the man who’d dropped a mushroom outside the mines on her second day in town. The realization only made her more uneasy. He’d been suspicious then, and he was even more suspicious now.

He slowly reached up and pulled back his hood, revealing tan skin, a brown head of hair and--wait. Those _eyes._

“You’re…” She blinked, expression blank.

His placating gesture transitioned into a smirk and a hand on his hip. “Nice to properly make your acquaintance.”

Her face flushed, embarrassment flooding back. This was the man she’d accidentally stared at, (and got _caught_ ), on her first day in town.

“Who are you? I know you aren’t really the town doctor. I’d have asked you before, but I hadn’t expected to be so blatantly teased by a stranger.”

He scoffed. “Need I remind you that you were the one staring at _me_?” Her intense glare gave him his answer. “Alright, alright. I am Claude von Riegan.” He made a grand sweeping motion with his arms and upped the drama with a lofty tone. “Seeker of the arcane truths. Mediary between physical and ethereal. Master of the seven elementals. Keeper of the sacred cha—"

“You’re Claude?”

He froze, like it was a trick question. “Um. Yes?”

“Hilda told me about you.”

“Ah, the lovely Hilda.” He relaxed, arms crossing behind his head. “Tell me, did she give you a glowing review of my character? Hilda and I go way back.”

“She seems to think you’re a phony Wizard.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” He nodded sagely, prompting Byleth to scrunch her eyebrows in confusion.

A squeaking noise caught both their attention, and Byleth looked down to see one of the little apple monsters hopping right at her feet. She gasped, then watched in disbelief as it peacefully meandered over towards Claude.

Claude, on the other hand, looked frantically from Byleth to the creature and back again. “You… You can see them?”

She cringed, she’d been too obvious in her reaction. “Er, yes, I can. Wait, you can see them too?”

His shock morphed into a half-smile. “I’m a Wizard, aren’t I?” It was rhetorical, she knew, but Byleth wanted to argue that ‘fact’ was still up for debate.

“But why can you see them too? Who are _you_?”, he urged.

In her defensiveness she’d totally forgotten to introduce herself. Most people in town knew who she was before she could get a word in anyway. “My name is Byleth. I’m new to Wyvern Town.”

“Byleth. Byleth.” He snapped his fingers, eyes shut. “Oh! You’re the one that just moved on to Eisner Farm, right? Everyone has been talking about your arrival.”

“So I’ve noticed.”

“Well, Byleth Eisner,” he stepped closer, until they were only a foot apart, “how would you like to help me with a scheme?”

“Sounds illegal,” she said distractedly. Now that he was closer, that urge to push back the lock of his hair that hung over his face came back in full force. _No, not again,_ she chastised herself. _Focus._

He laughed whole-heartedly. “I promise it’s not. Come on, follow me.”

He walked back into the room with the golden scroll and waited for her to stand next to it.

“Can you see this scroll, too?”

“Of course. I can’t read it, though.”

“That’s ok, I’ve already deciphered it.” He read the text out loud:

**We, the Junimo, are happy to aid you.**

**In return, we ask for gifts of the valley.**

**If you are one with the forest then you will see the true nature of this scroll.**

“The Junimo… is that those little apple monsters?”

He chuckled. “They’re more like spirits, but yes. They’re harmless, so you’ve no reason to fear them. The problem is, they refuse to speak to me.”

She tilted her head. “Why?”

“I wish I knew.” His brow furrowed, a hand coming to his chin. “I’m kind of offended by it, actually. I suppose as forest spirits, they’re rendered immune to my worldly charms.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, but Byleth simply rolled her eyes.

She looked back down at the scroll. She couldn’t read it, she couldn’t speak with the Junimos and, as far as she knew, she was not ‘one with the forest’. _So, where do I fit in all of this?_

“So I bet you’re wondering where you fit into all this.”

Byleth looked up to Claude’s smug face with a start. Can Wizards read minds? She didn’t ask. She didn’t want to know.

“Well I’ll tell you,” he continued. “What if I said I knew how to make you ‘one with the forest’?”

“I’d say this is starting to feel very… cult-y.” She scrunched her nose.

He raised an eyebrow. “I’ll take that as a compliment to my charismatic nature. How about we make a deal then? If I can prove, right here and now, that I am truly the Wizard I say I am, will you promise to help _me_ help the Junimos?”

She looked at his outstretched hand with hesitation. It felt a bit like a gamble; she’d only formally met this man about five minutes ago, so there was no basis for the blind trust this deal was asking for. She _knew_ that. Yet… She thought of the pull she felt that day outside the clinic. He was also the only other person she knew for sure could see the apple creatures. He implored her with innocent, pitiful puppy eyes and Byleth stopped trying to argue with herself. _Sigh. I’m in for it now._

With an angry huff, she slapped her hand against his. “ **If** you can prove it.”

His smile turned dangerous, there was something hiding behind it that Byleth didn’t recognize, and it set her on edge. “Deal.” He squeezed her hand, then tugged on her arm, hard.

“Oof!” She crashed into his chest and he held her tight.

“Don’t hold this against me, ok?”

She had a moment to gather her bearings and just enough time to recognize, _huh, he smells like pine trees and… cinnamon?,_ before they both vanished from the Community Center in a puff of smoke.

~

And it was all a dream.

At least, Byleth was pretty sure she was dreaming. People don’t just suddenly _appear_ in places. Teleportation wasn’t _real_.

She inspected the room around her in awe.

Honestly, she had been joking when she’d said the Junimos sounded like a cult, but the occult aesthetic of her new surroundings filled her with doubt. How ironic.

A bit off-center in the room sat a black cauldron so large Byleth could take a bath in it, if it weren’t for the bubbling green water inside. There was a fully stocked bookcase, yet piles of books sat in random places around the room. There was a fireplace too, and Byleth wondered why the cauldron sat so far away from it. On the floor in front of her was a chalk circle with one candle at every quadrant and a bunch of red crystal balls placed at intervals. She didn’t recognize the pattern, but Claude’s only comment had been “please don’t touch the summoning circle, it took three hours for me to get right”, so she decided to keep a healthy distance.

Now he bustled around the room, searching for ingredients while Byleth tried to comprehend her situation.

“I had already created a potion I was absolutely sure would make me one with the forest, but obviously it didn’t work if the Junimos still won’t speak with me.”

“Do… do you teleport often?”

“Not usually. And technically that spell was called ‘Warp’. You’re the first person I’ve ever tried to bring with me, though. Now I know for sure that the spell can work on two people at once, so thanks.” He winked, bringing a bunch of items to the table she stood next to.

“Right.” She slowly, suspiciously pulled out a chair for herself, like not even the table could be trusted to be normal.

“So. Byleth. Tell me about yourself.” He placed pinecones and flowers she couldn’t identify into a bowl and got to work grinding them down to powder.

“What?” _Why?_

“Well if you and I are going to work together on this, I’d like to get to know my partner a little bit more. That, and you still seem a little on edge.” His expression turned contrite, and she felt herself relax, just a little. “I know I probably freaked you out a bit with that spell, but I didn’t explain it beforehand because I was afraid you would think I was mental.”

She nodded. “That’s fair.” And it was, when she thought about it. Before he had shown up, Byleth thought she was mental herself, seeing little apple monsters that weren’t really there.

“I inherited Eisner Farm from my mother. My office job wasn’t working out the way I’d hoped, so I decided to start over. Live by my own rules. Be in charge of myself for once.” She picked at the wood grain in the table, unused to talking about herself. “Why were you dressed like a doctor the first time I saw you?”

“Hm? Oh that. I’m kind of what you could call a jack of all trades. A lot of people in town ask for my help filling in on sick days and stuff. The actual doc, Manuela, was pretty hungover that day from a previous night on the town, so she gave me a call. I’m more practiced in holistic medicine than pharmaceutical, but I managed for a day. Most people visiting the clinic in this town are just scraped up adventurers anyway.” He shrugged, obviously playing doctor for a day was no big deal in his eyes.

“That’s generous of you.”

“Not really. I rack up favors, then cash them in when I need them.” He smiled, but it seemed disingenuous. It didn’t reach his eyes.

“Does this potion you’re about to have me drink mean you’ll owe me a favor?”

“Heh. Nice try, but we made a deal. The way I see it, you and I are square.”

“I see.”

He got up and poured the powder into the cauldron before going off to another room and coming back with an armful of mushrooms. They were all different shapes and colors, and he dumped them on the table and pulled a knife from the pocket of his light brown harem pants.

Slicing them, he got back to his questioning. “So, did this office job of yours have anything to do with the arcane arts?” _What a strange question._

“Yeah, my typing skills were pretty magical. Ninety words per minute,” she said dryly. That one earned her a laugh.

“Okay, point taken. I’m just trying to figure out how you can see the Junimos without a spell, or any training.”

 _Ah. That makes sense._ “If I knew, I would tell you. It’s strange to me as well.”

“Hm.” He seemed to have something to say to that, but he kept it to himself. _He doesn’t trust me._ Well, that was a two-way street.

“Where did you learn all this Wizard…stuff?”

He looked back up from his task, smirking. “Oh, here and there. I don’t think we’re quite close enough for that story yet. But if you ask nicely, maybe I’ll take you on as my apprentice.” He winked, and Byleth considered the offer. Until today she hadn’t known magic was real, but she was kind of intrigued. She was also just as interested in learning about him as he was of her, and fair was fair.

“Alright. I think I’d like that.”

He froze, shock written on his face. After a few moments of staring, she tilted her head. Had he not expected her answer? She felt a little disappointed. Maybe he hadn’t been serious after all. “Claude?”

He cleared his throat, tips of his ears red. “Potion’s ready.” He gathered up all the mushrooms and dumped them in the cauldron, and the mixture popped and sizzled. He then poured a small portion of the slime green, viscous liquid into a shot glass.

“It won’t taste the best, but luckily you don’t need to drink that much. Everything in it is ingredients collected from the forest, and after you should be able to speak with the spirits.”

She took the glass with apprehension. This was it. This was where she trusted Claude not to poison her and accepted the belief that Junimos were real and this hadn’t all been one long, complicated dream.

She knocked it back. And immediately gagged.

It tasted the way old, dead leaves smell, and was a bit gooier than she was prepared for. Her vision started swimming with green and she slowly sank to the ground, Claude sinking down with her, holding each other’s’ arms for support. Where Claude should have been, Byleth now only saw trees. _Great. I’m hallucinating for real now. That’s what you get for drinking strange potions from men you’ve just met Byleth._ She could hear Claude calling her name, but it sounded dull, like her ears were submerged underwater. Eventually the trees faded to black, and she lost consciousness.

~

“…--eth?”

_Hm?_

“Byleth, open your eyes.”

_Oh._

Slowly regaining her senses, Byleth opened her eyes, little by little. She was met by Claude’s concerned face hanging over her, but he smiled as soon as her eyes were fully open. “You’ll be happy to know my potion worked. There’s no way you would’ve had such an adverse reaction to it if it hadn’t.”

“How long was I out just now?” Her voice was groggy. She grimaced; she could still taste the awful green liquid in her mouth.

“Not even a full minute, I think.” He helped her up and walked over to the summoning circle. “I’m going to call a Junimo here now. Let’s put your new power to the test, yeah?”

“No, let’s go to the Community Center.” She blurted out. Her face scrunched up at her own outburst. _Why did I say that?_

But Claude just lit up at the suggestion. “Got a lucky feeling? I can be spontaneous.” He stepped up to her and reached for her arm again before stopping himself and letting his arm fall back to his side.

“Um, would you like to walk this time? I didn’t say it, but I actually live in the forest south of your farm. It’ll take us longer to get there, but if it makes you more comfortable, we can definitely—”

She cut off his rambling with a hand on his shoulder and a firm nod. “Let’s go.”

His eyes widened. With a lazy grin, he grabbed her waist with one hand and reached for her hand with the other. A mock waltz stance. “As you wish.”

Seconds later, they appeared in the main room of the Community center, and Byleth walked with sure steps toward the room from before with the golden scroll, determined not to let Claude see her flushed face.

They reached the scroll, and Byleth placed her hand on it. An opaque, golden tree sprouted from the page, and both parties gasped. It was _beautiful_ , but only reached about a foot above the parchment. On five branches sat little gift boxes of all different colors, and Byleth had the strong urge to poke them.

A new word appeared on the page, but Byleth still couldn’t read it.

“Pantry.” Claude read aloud. “Huh. Does that mean this room used to be a pantry for the Community Center?”

Byleth didn’t answer. She lost to her weird impulse and poked the green gift box. It popped like a burst bubble and four new images floated in front of them. A parsnip, green bean, cauliflower, and a potato. This time they shared a look of confusion.

She thought back to the scroll’s original message. “ _This_ is the true nature of the scroll?”

“..In return, we ask for _gifts of the valley._ That’s it, Byleth! We need to bring the spirits these gifts.” He was so excited, she felt the corners of her mouth turning up to mimic his bright smile.

He looked back at the image. “Ok, these are all vegetables grown this season. We’ll just go buy them from Lorenz at his shop and be right back. Easy enough.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” She removed her hand from the scroll and the tree disappeared.

They both jumped at aggressive squeaking sounding off behind them.

Claude clutched at his chest from the fright. “Oh, it’s a Junimo. What’s it yelling about?”

Byleth squinted. There weren’t… _words_ exchanged per se, but she still knew what it was saying. Or maybe, more like she could _feel_ what it was saying.

“They—they don’t want goods bought from a store. They want things cultivated from nature, by us, by the community. ‘Gifts of the valley’, makes sense now, I guess.”

Claude brought a hand to his chin. “Hmm… okay. If that’s the case, this project might take a bit more time to complete than I’d originally planned.”

He crossed his arms behind his head, surprisingly casual about all of this. Then again, so was Byleth. “Well Byleth, you’re a farmer. Are you any good at growing parsnips?”

A hand went to her temple, and she felt the beginnings of a headache as she pictured her field at home; forty healthy parsnip plants in bloom she’d had no clue what to do with.

Softly, under her breath, she muttered: “ _What are the chances?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus, a partnership was born.  
> Little did Byleth know, her field of parsnips was all divine intervention, and it was for the Junimos all along.  
> Also, I named Alois's daughter Risa, which is spanish for laughter.  
> It seemed fitting.
> 
> Next up is the Egg Festival!
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


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